As with the 68, Gunboat once again engaged the French design office VPLP (Van Peteghem/Loriot Prévost). They positioned the 29-metre mast further aft on the saloon roof for more foresail propulsion thanks to a larger self-tacking jib (112 square metres) sitting on the deckhouse and to improve the helmsman's view. One of the hallmarks of this innovative catamaran manufacturer is the steering position amidships in the saloon, which customers can optionally add external carbon wheels to.
Owners who want more space in the saloon can have the galley installed one level lower, which reduces the number of cabins to four. The shipyard took the constructive customer feedback on the 68 as an opportunity to place the master suite aft in the starboard hull. Two pre-configured rig options are available for the multihull, which is a good nine metres wide. The main hull is 171 square metres and the A2 is 460 square metres. The 20-tonner gains additional buoyancy when the centreboard is lowered, which increases the draught from 1.30 metres to 4.60 metres, but does not allow it to take off completely like the G4.
US brand with French financial strength
Gunboat was founded in 2002 in the USA, where the fast carbon catamarans were manufactured until the company went bankrupt in 2015. The main reasons cited at the time were problems with the production of the Gunboat 60 in China and the sensational failure of the G4, the first fully foiling cruising catamaran.
The subsequent insolvency auction was won by the Grand Large Yachting shipyard group, which transferred Gunboat to its multihull brand portfolio, which includes Allures, Garcia and Outremer. The company from La Grande-Motte acquired licences and moulds, with the exception of the G4 foiling catamaran. The 20.75 metre Gunboat 68 was the first model to be built in the 4,000 square metre halls on the French Mediterranean coast. It is unclear when the first Gunboat 70 will come out of the mould.
